the importance of testing and certification...food testing and analysis play a crucial part in our...
TRANSCRIPT
HELEN P. SUBRADILASTS Iloilo Inc
The Importance of
TESTING AND
CERTIFICATION
Building Trust in Philippine Food Products
Presented during the Forum on Standardization, Productivity, Innovation, and
Certification for Enterprises in Food Processing in Western Visayas;
April 29-30, 2015; University of the Philippines-Visayas, Iloilo City Campus
Consumer Expectations
• Customers are increasingly careful and
discriminating about the food they buy and
consume for themselves and their families.
• Food items sold should not only be
delicious and nutritious but also clean,
sanitary, safe, and compliant with the
highest standards of hygiene.
Consumer Expectations
• Food items sold should not only be
delicious and nutritious but also clean,
sanitary, safe, hazard free and compliant
with the highest standards of hygiene.
Shared Responsibility
• Responsibility for clean, safe, hazard
free food is shared by:
– food producers
– processors
– regulatory agencies
Food Industry
• In the food industry, the importance of food
sanitation and safety cannot be
overemphasized. You owe it to your
customers; you also owe it to yourselves if
you want to stay in business in a sustained
way.
Safety System Basics
• Only safe and wholesome foods may be
marketed
• Regulatory decision-making is science-based
• Government has enforcement responsibility
• Manufacturers, distributors, importers, and other
are expected to comply and face liability for
noncompliance
• Regulatory process is transparent and
accessible to the public
Key Requirements for
Demonstrating Food Safety
• Food Safety Management Systems
(ISO 22000, HACCP, GAP )
• Regular Surveillance mechanism
• Credible testing laboratories
(ISO17025; ILAC-MRA )
• Food Certifications
Food testing and analysis play a crucial part in our
everyday lives.
Food safety testing ensures that the food we eat is
safe for consumption
Nutritional analysis provides details on the
ingredients of food
Food chemistry testing provides the levels of
additives and contaminants in food we would
otherwise not know about.
WHY TEST?
WHY TEST?
• Meeting product specifications (inputs and finished
product)
• Baseline development and identification of risk
factors
• Process capability/validation
• Process verification
• Investigative testing and remedial activity
verification
• Verifying that regulatory guidelines have been met.
• Food safety is an integral part of the
production of all foods and the shared
responsibility of all segments of the
supply chain.
• In recent times there has been increased
awareness for the need to evaluate the
food safety practices in the production
of agricultural products.
Food Safety Management
System
• Microbiological testing is not a guarantee of
product safety. It is one component of an
overall food safety system. Before
microbiological testing is initiated,
prerequisite programs must be in place.
• These programs should be appropriate to
the specific operation
Food Safety Management
System
• The following Prerequisite Programs maybe
adopted:
– Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
– Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
– Sanitation Practices
– Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
(HACCP)
– Traceability and Recall Management
Food Safety Management System
• Organic agriculture includes all
agricultural systems that promote the
ecologically sound, socially acceptable,
economically viable and technically
feasible production of food and fibers.
• Organic agricultural dramatically
reduces external inputs by refraining
from the use of chemical fertilizers,
pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
• It also covers areas such as, but not limited
to soil fertility management, varietal
breeding and selection under chemical and
pesticide-free conditions, the use of
biotechnology and other cultural practices
that are consistent with the principles and
policies of this Act, and enhance
productivity without destroying the soil
and harming farmers, consumers and the
environment
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
Product specific GMPs
• thermally processed low-acid canned
foods
• acidified foods
• bottled drinking water
Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP)
Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP)
Production and Process Controls • end results emphasized
– ensuring that no adulterated food enters
marketplace
– terms used subject to variation in
interpretation
• raw materials and ingredients properly
– inspected, analyzed
– segregated, stored
– handled
Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Points (HACCP)
• the implementation of Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
programs in several sectors of the food
production industry gives consumers the
trust that food supplied is safe
• HACCP programs require detailed and
comprehensive identification of potential
hazards that are “reasonably likely to
occur.”
Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Points (HACCP)
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
• To monitor and control production
processes
• Identify food safety hazards and critical
control points
•Production, processing and marketing
•Establish limits
•Monitor
• Applied to meat, poultry, and eggs
Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP)
Production and Process Controls
• manufacturing operations must be
monitored
– pH, water activity, temperatures
– elimination of metal from product
• personnel should be trained and aware of
GMP requirements
Regulating the Quality and Safety
of Foods
Regulating the Quality and Safety
of Foods
• Responsibility
(liability)
• Food Irradiation
• Genetic
Modifications
• Consumer protection
Regulatory Issues:
• Food Additive
Regulation
• Labeling
• Novel Food
Processing
• Standardization
Testing and Methods of Analysis
•To ensure food safety and
quality, food samples require
certain tests and analyses.
Testing and Methods of Analysis
On-site – inside the manufacturers plant
Off- site – outside by an independent
laboratory; provides a higher degree of
precision with a more expanded list of
parameters; requirement for regulatory
purposes
Types of Methods use for Testing
Areas of Food Testing
• Nutritional Labeling
• Certificate of Analysis
• Micronutrient Composition
• Macronutrient Composition
• Microbiological Analysis
• Specialty Quality Control
• Plant and Equipment Sanitation
• Water Activity Testing
Testing and Methods of Analysis
Areas of Food Testing
• Food allergen testing
• Food chemical analysis
• Food contact tests
• Food contaminant testing
• Nutritional analysis and testing
• GMO testing
Testing and Methods of Analysis
Areas of Food Testing
• Melamine contamination testing
• Microbiological tests
• Spiral plating for bacterial count
• Pesticide residue testing
• Veterinary drug residue testing
• PCR food testing
Testing and Methods of Analysis
Microbiological Testing
• Food microbiology is the study of
microorganisms that play major roles in food
processing and preservation, general food
quality, and may even occur naturally within
certain food types. It is important to
understand these microorganisms and their
relation to the food industry in terms of food
spoilage, food-borne illness, or food-related
intoxication.
Testing and Methods of Analysis
Understanding food pathogens
• Microorganisms (microbes) in the
environment – some are harmless, some
are beneficial, and others cause food
spoilage and breakdown.
• A small number of microbes have the
potential to cause food poisoning and
known as “human pathogens”.
Testing and Methods of Analysis
PATHOGEN TESTING
• A pathogen is any agent (bacteria,
virus, etc.) that may cause human
or animal illness or disease.
Testing and Methods of Analysis
Sources of human pathogens
• From planting through to transport to
customers, there are many opportunities
for human pathogens to contaminate fresh
produce.
• Preventing human pathogens from
contaminating fresh produce during
growing, harvesting, packing, storing and
transport to customers is the best way
minimize the risk to consumer health.
Testing and Methods of Analysis
• Controlling Pathogens: Pathogen Testing
Bacteria
•Salmonella
•E.coliO157:H7
•Listeriamonocytogenes
•Campylobacterjejuni
Viruses
• Norovirus
• HepatitisA
Testing and Methods of Analysis
•Controlling Pathogens:
– Environmental Testing
• Environmental monitoring programs are a
commonly used tool to assess microbial
contamination and to track sanitation
effectiveness in a processing facility.
Testing and Methods of Analysi
• Types of Test Methods
• Cultural Methods
• Immunoassay
• PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
Methods
Testing and Methods of Analysis
Validated Methods
Important points to consider in the selection of a
method:
It has been validated for the material of interest.
It has been validated against an internationally
recognized official method such as
• AOAC International or Bacteriological Analytical
Method (BAM).
• It has been validated through an independent
validation study (internal or third party)
Testing and Methods of Analysis
Micro Testing and Analyses applicable to
every major food product category:
Aerobic plate count (to indicate product
quality)
Campylobacter (poultry products)
Clostridium botulinum species (canned
vegetables)
Common Microbiological Testing
• Coliform / E. coli (indicates food product
quality and safety)
• E. coli O157:H7 (ground beef and
unpasteurized juice products)
• Lactobacillus (salad dressings and
vacuum-packaged products)
• Listeria (meat, vegetables, deli salads,
RTEs, and dairy)
• Pseudomonas (fresh meat, poultry, and fish)
• Salmonella (meat, poultry, vegetables, and
dairy products)
• Staphylococcus aureus (deli salads,
processed meat, and poultry)
• Vibrio (fish and seafood)
• Yeast and mold (sauces, dressings,
beverages, and dairy products)
4-methylimidazole (MeI) analysis
Carbendazim analysis
Trans-fat Analysis
Sugar profile analysis
Vitamins and minerals analysis
Omega-3 fatty acids
Food allergen detection
Aflatoxins
Acrylamide
Trace metals and organics
N utritional Labeling
21 CFR 172.878 (1) Readily Carbonizable Substance
21 CFR 172.878 (2) Lim. Sulfur Containing
Compound
21 CFR 172.878 (3) UV Absorbance Limit
21 CFR 175.300 Nonvolatile 8% Alcohol Extractives
21 CFR 175.300 Nonvolatile DI Water Extractives
21 CFR 175.300 Nonvolatile Heptane Extractives
21 CFR 177.1520 Extractable Fraction in 2 solvents
21 CFR 177.1550 Fluoride Extractives (8% Alcohol)
Specific Food Contact Analyses
21 CFR 177.1550 Fluoride Extractives (DI Water)
21 CFR 177.1550 Fluoride Extractives (Heptane)
21 CFR 177.1550 Nonvolatile 8% Alcohol
Extractives
21 CFR 177.1550 Nonvolatile DI Water Extractives
21 CFR 177.1550 Nonvolatile Heptane Extractives
Specific Food Contact Analyses
Specific Food Contact Analyses
21 CFR 177.1630 DI Water Extractives
21 CFR 177.1630 Ethyl Alcohol Extractives
21 CFR 177.1630 Heptane Extractives
21 CFR 177.1810 Styrene Block Polymer
Extracts
21 CFR 178.3620 (b) (i) Saybolt Color
21 CFR 178.3620 (b) (ii) UV Absorbance
Limit
Specific Food Contact Analyses
21 CFR 178.3620 (c) (1) (i) Initial Boiling
Point
21 CFR 178.3620 (c) (1) (ii) Color
21 CFR 178.3620 (c) (1) (iii) UV Absorbance
Limit
21 CFR 178.3910 Nonvolatile 8% Alcohol
Extractives
Specific Food Contact Analyses
21 CFR 178.3910 Nonvolatile DI Water
Extractives
21 CFR 178.3910 Nonvolatile Heptane
Extractives
21 CFR 178.3910 Nonvolatile Toluene
Extractives
Pesticide residue analysis
such as organochlorine
pesticides is performed
using instrumentation,
including GC/MS/MS or
LC/MS/MS
Food Pesticides Residue Analysis
GMO Analysis
GMOs are organisms, usually plants,
that have had a portion of their
genome modified and are created
when foreign genetic material (DNA) is
introduced into the host’s DNA. GMOs
are typically some type of commercial
crop such as tomatoes, soybeans or
corn.
• PCR-based analysis of the DNA from these
crops is conducted to determine whether
sample contains any GMO material.
Nutritional Labeling
Proper nutritional
labeling to any food
product in compliance
to FDA regulatory
requirements
Nutritional Analysis
Drug Residues in Imported Seafood
One of the major food safety concerns of the FDA is
the presence of unapproved antibiotics and antifungal
chemicals in imported seafood.
• Chemical Analysis of Aquaculture Drug Residues
• Several methods have been developed recently for
aquaculture drug residues. The best and most
sensitive use a high-performance liquid
chromatograph interfaced to tandem mass
spectrometers, (LC-mass-spec-mass-spec or
LC/MS/MS). This instrument significantly reduces the
background signal and, therefore, allows the
measurement of organic compounds at very low
levels, in the parts-per- trillion range, for many
compounds.
Chemical substances play an important role in food
production and distribution.
Many chemicals are intentionally included in our
daily diet, for instance; food additives, colors and
flavorings. Moreover, a number of chemical
substances are present in the environment as
pollutants. These contaminants are unintentionally
present in raw materials used in food production
and distribution and can often not be avoided.
• The right balance between risks and
benefits of substances that are used
intentionally and the reduction of
contaminants in the human food chain
is an important food safety goal toward
consumer protection in every country
in our globe.
Water Quality and Safety
• Be aware of potential sources of pathogens
from your water sources
• Maintain wells in good condition
• Be aware of current & historical use of land
• Consider practices to protect water quality
• Consider irrigation water quality & use
• Microbial testing of water
Flowing Water (rivers, streams)
4 times per year
Impounded Water (ponds, lakes)
3 times per year before season begins
Testing Frequency
Processing Water
• Practices that ensure & maintain quality
-sampling & micro. Testing
-develop SOP’s for all processes using water
-clean/sanitize water contact surfaces
-install backflow devices & legal air gaps
-routinely inspect equipment used to maintain
quality
• Consider the water temperature for certain
produce
• Maintain efficacy of antimicrobials
• Use appropriate wash methods
Monitoring Water Quality
• One of the most important factors growers
need to consider is the safety of water that
comes into contact with the harvestable
portion of the crop, including water used for
irrigation, frost protection, and post-harvest
cooling and washing. When present,
pathogenic microorganisms in water pose a
significant risk to the safety of fresh produce it
comes into contact with.
Possible Contaminants
Nutritional Fact (in label)
In recent years, there have been numerous recalls
and illness outbreaks involving E. coli 0157:H7 or
Salmonella traced back to lettuce or spinach
greens. There have been a number of other
incidents involving previously-unseen occurrences of
Salmonella in tomatoes, peppers and most recently
in papayas. It is believde that E. coli 0157:H7 is
associated with beef, and that Salmonella is
associated with poultry products. So how, then, can
these organisms occur in vegetable and fruit
products?
Water Quality’s Impact on
Produce
The other potential sources of
contamination at the farm that can and
must be controlled - namely, runoff water
from property adjacent to the farm;
irrigation and processing water quality,
and the quality of products such as
fertilizers or compost that are used to
grow crops to maturity.
Water Quality’s Impact on
Produce
Microbiologically, these may include coliform
bacteria, Shigella, enteric viruses such as Norovirus
and Norwalk, and parasites such as
Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Chemically, the
potential contaminants can include heavy metals,
pesticides, herbicides, and a host of other organic
chemicals. Public potable water producers are
required by law to address many of these potential
contaminants in their testing plans on some
predetermined schedule.
Water Quality’s Impact on
Produce
There is no safe substitute for a well-designed
testing plan to ensure that water of appropriate
quality is used to irrigate farmlands. The testing
of irrigation water on processing company-
owned farms should be an integral part of the
quality management plan for the processor;
farms not owned by the processor should be
contractually obligated to regularly provide
certificates of analysis for their irrigation water
attesting to the quality of the water.
Water Quality’s Impact on
Produce
• The most basic analyses for water quality
(total coliforms, salmonella, nitrates, etc.)
should be monitored on a regular basis, while
other testing may be done on a less frequent
basis unless initial results indicate problems
requiring corrective action (Cryptosporidium,
Giardia, Shigella, Enteric Viruses, and
pesticide residues, to name a few).
Water Quality’s Impact on
Produce
• Regular water testing can give you useful
knowledge about the safety of water and
how it might vary during the season or from
year to year. Water testing labs test for E.
coli instead of Salmonella spp., Listeria
monocytogenes, hepatitis A virus, parasites,
and other sources of human illness because it
can be a useful indicator of these and other
pathogens.
Water Quality’s Impact on
Produce
Food Product Certification
• One of the ways customers assure themselves
of the safety and purity of their food
purchases is by looking at the FDA (Food and
Drug Administration) certification in product
labeling/packaging.
• The FDA or the Food and Drugs
Administration is the government agency
tasked to ensure that food — as well as
medicines and drugs – sold in the local
market are safe for consumption.
Food Product Certification
• Department of Agriculture
• ORGANIC PRODUCTS
• Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
Certification Program
• Good Animal Husbandry Practices
(GAHP) Certification Program
Department of Agriculture
• PLANTS AND BY PRODUCTS
• Seed Certification
• Phytosanitary Certificate
Department of Agriculture
• FISH AND BY PRODUCTS
• Clearance to Import Live Fresh/Aquatic
Animals
Department of Agriculture
• MEAT AND BY PRODUCTS
• Inspection of Imported Meat and Meat
Products
• Meat Inspection Certificate
Department of Agriculture
• SUGAR
• Sugar Export Clearance
• Molasses/Muscavado Clearances for Export
• Clearance for Release of Imported Sugar
• Certificate of Sugar Requirement of Processors
of Sugar-based Products
Department of Agriculture
• SUGAR
• Clearances for
Withdrawal/Inloading/Outloading for Export
Sugar Shipment
• Certificate of Exchange Authority (CEA) on
Swapping of Classes of Sugar
• Certificate of Verified "A" Export Sugar
• Certificate for Quota Eligibility (CQE)
Why is Accreditation critical to
Food Manufacturers/suppliers?
• Minimizing Risk of producing Faulty Food
Products entering the market
• Avoid Expensive Retesting
• Ease Export & import issues regarding Food
safety
How can we define
Accreditation?
• Procedure by which an Authoritative Body
(PAB) gives formal recognition that a Body
(laboratory) is competent to carry out a
specific task (testing/calibration)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
(MRA)
test data to be accepted between MRA member-
countries
reduces cost /reduces retesting of products
mutual confidence among signatories scope of
recognition
mutual confidence in the technical competence of
signatories and their accredited laboratories
THANK YOU